Doesn't Know Left from Right – Korach
וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח בֶּן יִצְהָר בֶּן קְהָת בֶּן לֵוִי וְדָתָן וַאֲבִירָם בְּנֵי אֱלִיאָב וְאוֹן בֶּן פֶּלֶת בְּנֵי רְאוּבֵן. וַיָּקֻמוּ לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה וַאֲנָשִׁים מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל חֲמִשִּׁים וּמָאתָיִם נְשִׂיאֵי עֵדָה קְרִאֵי מוֹעֵד אַנְשֵׁי שֵׁם. וַיִּקָּהֲלוּ עַל מֹשֶׁה וְעַל אַהֲרֹן וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֲלֵהֶם רַב לָכֶם כִּי כָל הָעֵדָה כֻּלָּם קְדֹשִׁים וּבְתוֹכָם ה' וּמַדּוּעַ תִּתְנַשְּׂאוּ עַל קְהַל ה' (במדבר טז, א-ג).
In this shiur, we are going to explore an incredible Zohar, which gives us a deep insight into the sin of Korach. Amongst other things, we will see what the machloket of Korach has to do with the Shabbat greeting - "Shabbat Shalom" and also the connection between Korach and the Shulchan Lechem HaPanim.
אוֹרָיְיתָא אִיהִי חֵילָא דִּימִינָא, כד"א מִימִינוֹ אֵשׁ דָּת לָמוֹ, וְשְׂמָאלָא אִתְכְּלִיל בִּימִינָא. מָאן דַּעְבֵיד יְמִינָא שְׂמָאלָא, וּשְׂמָאלָא יְמִינָא, הָא אִיּהוּ כְּאִילּוּ חָרִב עָלְמָא. (זהר חלק עז, ב, פר' קרח)
The Zohar says that the Torah is the power of the "right", as it says in VeZot HaBracha מִימִינוֹ אֵשׁ דָּת לָמוֹ (דברים לג, ב). And the "left" is mixed together with the "right". Someone who makes the "right" into the "left" and the "left" into the "right", it is as if he has destroyed the world.
The Zohar is referring to the two סְפִירוֹת, Gvura (left) and Chessed (right). As we explained in a previous shiur the attribute of Gvura (left) symbolizes מִדַּת הַדִּין, the left hand, the masculine and the attribute of Chessed symbolizes מִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים, the right hand, the feminine.
The Zohar continues –
אַהֲרֹן יְמִינָא, לֵיוָאֵי שְׂמָאלָא. קֹרַח בָּעֵי לְמֶעְבַּד חִלוּפָא דִּימִינָא לִשְׂמָאלָא, בג"כ אִתְעַנָּשׁ. וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא דְּאִשְׁתְּכַּח בֵּיהּ לִשָּׁנָא בִּישָׁא, וְאִתְעַנָּשׁ בְּכֹלָּא. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר, שְׂמָּאלָא אִתְכְּלִּיל תָּדִיר בִּימִינָא. קֹרַח בָּעָא לְאַחְלְפָא תִּקּוּנָּא דִּלְעֵילָא וּתַתָּא, בג"כ אִתְאֲבִד מֵעֵילָּא וְתַתָא. (שם עז, ג)
Aharon HaKohen belongs to the "right", the attribute of Chessed and the Leviim belong to the "left", the attribute of Gvura. Korach wanted to switch the right with the left, i.e. he wanted the Kehuna (right) for the Leviim (left) and for this he was punished. Not only this, he also had in him lashon hara and he was punished with everything, "כָּל". R' Yehuda says Gvura (left) is always mixed together with Chessed (right), [as it says in the passuk שְׂמֹאלוֹ תַּחַת לְרֹאשִׁי וִימִינוֹ תְּחַבְּקֵנִי (שיר השירים ב, ו) and this mixing is the tikkun for Gvura (left)]. Korach wanted to switch this tikkun, both Above and below, he wanted the Leviim to be in total control, Gvura (left) alone, without mixing with Chessed (right), the Kohanim, and for this he was punished in both worlds, Above (olam habah) and below (olam hazeh).
It is not easy to fully understand the concept of the סְפִירוֹת, as it belongs to the realm of Kabbalah and is infinite in depth. But on a superficial level, in "layman's" terms, the way HKB"H created His world, the natural order, Above and below - is a balance between two opposing forces. On the "left" - the attribute of Gvura, מִדַּת הַדִּין, the left hand, the masculine (דְּכָּר), and on the "right" - the attribute of Chessed, מִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים, the right hand, the feminine (נוּקְבָּא).
Originally, HKB"H planned the world to operate only according to מִדַּת הַדִּין (the derech of Beit Shamai), but when He saw that it could not exist on such a stringent, absolute level, HKB"H mixed in מִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים (the derech of Bet Hillel) - a kind of a "tikkun" that allows our world to continue to exist, even though it does not conform to the absolute constraints of מִדַּת הַדִּין. Almost everything in our world, therefore, is a mixture, a balance of the two.
Case in point, Leviim and Kohanim. Both serve HKB"H in the Mishkan/Mikdash, but each has a separate role. The Leviim belong to the side of Gvura (if you recall the episodes of Dina and Shchem and the selling of Yosef - one of the two main figures in both cases was Levi, for whom the world operates only according to מִדַּת הַדִּין, black and white). The Kohanim (descendants of Aharon) belong to the side of Chessed (אוֹהֵב שָׁלוֹם וְרוֹדֵף שָׁלוֹם), which is מִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים.
According to the Zohar, by laying claim to the Kehuna, Korach (who was a Levi) was trying to seize total control for only his side, Gvura, מִדַּת הַדִּין, without the balancing side of Aharon, Chessed, מִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים. By doing so, he upset the balance, the tikkun and was appropriately punished.
The Zohar (above) continues –
לֵית עָלְמָא קָאֵים אֶלָּא עַל שָׁלוֹם, כַּד בָּרָא קב"ה עָלְמָא, לָא יָכִיל לְאִתְקַיְמָא, עַד דְּאָתָא וְשָׁרָא עׇלַיְּיהוּ שָׁלוֹם. וּמַאי הוּא. שַׁבָּת, דְּאִיהוּ שְׁלָמָא דְּעִלָאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי, וּכְדֵין אִתְקָיָּים עָלְמָא. וּמָאן דְּפָלִיג עָלֵיהּ, יִתְאֲבִיד מֵעָלְמָא. (שם עז, ו)
The world only exists because of שָׁלוֹם. When HKB"H created the world, it could not exist (on מִדַּת הַדִּין alone), until HKB"H added שָׁלוֹם to it (i.e. מִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים). What is this? Shabbat! (as we say – Shabbat Shalom). This is the שָׁלוֹם between Heaven and earth, and only then (when there is שָׁלוֹם) can the world exist. Therefore, someone who disputes (destroys) שָׁלוֹם, is destroyed from the world. Here we see the connection between Korach and Shabbat/Shalom. By destroying שָׁלוֹם, Korach was defying the natural order of the world.
And wrapping up with one last Zohar –
ר' יוֹסֵי אָמַר כְּתִיב שָׁלוֹם רָב לְאֹהֲבֵי תוֹרָתֶךָ וְגו'. אוֹרָיְתָא הוּא שָׁלוֹם דִּכְתִיב וְכָל נְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ שָׁלוֹם. וְקֹרַח אָתָא לְאָפְגָמָא שָׁלוֹם דִּלְעֵילָא וּתַתָּא בג"כ אִתְעַנִּישׁ הוּא מֵעֵלָּא וְתַתָּאָה. (שם עז, ח)
R' Yossi says, the passuk states שָׁלוֹם רָב לְאֹהֲבֵי תוֹרָתֶךָ (תהילים קיט, קסה). The Torah is also called שָׁלוֹם, as it says וְכָל נְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ שָׁלוֹם (משלי ג, יז). Korach came to damage the שָׁלוֹם from Above, which is the Torah, the middle line which makes שָׁלוֹם (balances) between Gvura (left) and Chessed (right) and also the Torah from below (Moshe Rabbeinu). Subsequently he was punished from Above (with fire) and below (swallowed up in the earth).
עַד כָּאן the Zohar HaKadosh.
The Midrash (במדבר רבה יח, ג) tells us that Korach was not a simple character. Firstly, he was a חָכָם גָּדוֹל, almost on the level of Moshe Rabbeinu. Secondly, he was a very spiritually elevated individual, from the family of Kehat, מִטּוֹעֲנֵי הָאָרוֹן, who carried the Aron HaBrit in the Midbar. This was the most dangerous task in the Mishkan and entrusted to only the most spiritually elevated.
We also know (שם יח, ח) that Korach had powers of prophecy, he saw that one of his descendants would be Shmuel HaNavi, who was equated with Moshe and Aharon מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן בְּכֹהֲנָיו וּשְׁמוּאֵל בְּקֹרְאֵי שְׁמוֹ (תהילים צט, ו).
It is possible that Korach deduced this from the fact that the gematria of קֹרַח (in the milui format קוף ריש חית) is 1114, which is the gematria of [שְׁנֵי] שָׁדַיִךְ כִּשְׁנֵי עֳפָרִים (שיר השירים ד, ה). The Rokeach (ibid.) says that שְׁנֵי שָׁדַיִךְ is referring to Moshe and Aharon (since the gematria of שְׁנֵי שָׁדַיִךְ [with the כּוֹלֵל] is אֵלּוּ הֵם מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרוֹן).
The Ari z"l (ibid.) says that שְׁנֵי שָׁדַיִךְ is the secret of the Heichal in the Mishkan/Mikdash, which is a balance between Gvura (left) and Chessed (right). The Rokeach (on a later passuk שיר השירים ז, ד) says that שְׁנֵי שָׁדַיִךְ refers to the Menorah (on the left) and the Shulchan (on the right).
Meir Panim (פרק יג, עמ' קמב) describes the mixed balance between the Menorah and the Shulchan, a mixture of Torah and מַלְכוּת and likens the pair to a מֶלֶךְ וְסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה בְּיָדוֹ. The Torah tells us that a king in Am Yisrael has to constantly have a sefer Torah with him at all times (דברים יז, יח-יט), in order that his physical actions in this material world emanate from what is written in the Torah.
We know from the Gemara (ירושלמי, סנהדרין פרק י הלכה א) that Korach was a very rich man (like a Shulchan Lechem HaPanim – which symbolizes material wealth) and as we saw above (במדבר רבה יח, ג), he was also a very wise man (like the Menorah – which symbolizes Torah). לִכְאוֹרָה it might appear that Korach was the required balance between "left" and "right" that we discussed above and if so, it seems that he was entitled to challenge Moshe who he thought was his equal?
There was only one slight problem. Korach was like a Shulchan Lechem HaPanim, by virtue of the fact that he was exceedingly wealthy. However, Korach failed to embody the essence of the Shulchan Lechem HaPanim, which is the principle of אֵיזֶהוּ עָשִׁיר הַשָּׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ, which is another name for the concept called כָּל (discussed in a previous shiur). This is why the Zohar (above) says he was punished with כָּל ("וְאִתְעַנָּשׁ בְּכֹלָּא" - זהר חלק עז, ג, פר' קרח) – mida keneged mida.
Korach was not the ultimate balance between "left" and "right", the Menorah and the Shulchan. The one who embodied this principle was Moshe Rabbeinu, who brought down the Torah (Menorah) to Am Yisrael and who was also exceedingly wealthy (Shulchan). HKB"H allowed Moshe to keep the leftover shards of the second set of לוּחוֹת that he carved out of סְנָפִּרְיּוֹן – the most precious stone on earth.
Korach's lack of being satisfied with what he had רַב לָכֶם בְּנֵי לֵוִי (במדבר טז, ז) and always craving more, put him in the same category as Eisav וַיֹּאמֶר עֵשָׂו יֶשׁ לִי רָב (בראשית לג, ט).
Now we can break down the sin of Korach to its "basic elements".
Korach was an incredibly talented individual, he was a super talmid chacham, he had powers of prophecy, he was spiritually elevated, he was super rich, he had good yichus (lineage), etc. He had all the prerequisites required by a leader, a Kohen Gadol – except one. He lacked midot!
Contrast Korach with Moshe. Both were on a "contemporary" level of Torah knowledge – Korach was conducting intricate Talmudic debates with Moshe regarding Techelet, Kedusha, etc. What was the difference between them? Moshe was humble and Korach was not. A humble person does not proffer his candidacy for leadership. HKB"H had to practically force Moshe to accept the position. Korach conducted a loud public election campaign espousing why he thought he was "the man for the job".
Contrast Korach with Aharon. Both were on a super high level of spirituality – Korach was a bearer of the Aron HaBrit! This meant that he was allowed to enter the Kodesh HaKodashim to pick it up and carry it, just like Aharon was allowed to enter the Kodesh HaKodashim on Yom Kippur. What was the difference between them? Aharon was אוֹהֵב שָׁלוֹם וְרוֹדֵף שָׁלוֹם, it was his mission in life, to foster שָׁלוֹם in Am Yisrael. Korach did exactly the opposite, he created dissention and מַחְלֹקֶת in Am Yisrael.
What was the difference between Moshe/Aharon and Korach? Only one thing – midot. Moshe and Aharon had them, Korach did not.
Korach thought he was a Shulchan Lechem HaPanim, but he lacked midot and this is another facet of the essence of the Shulchan Lechem HaPanim. The Shulchan is מַלְכוּת and the Lechem HaPanim are midot – the Twelve loaves (Tribes) sitting on the Shulchan in perfect שָׁלוֹם, peace (מאיר פנים, פרק יד, עמ' קנד).
Korach thought he was "the man for the job", the perfect balance between "left" and "right", like Adam HaRishon before the sin. This is why he took the liberty - וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח. What did Korach "take"? Korach said "I am like Adam HaRishon!" Where is the first time the word וַיִּקַּח appears in the Torah? וַיִּקַּח ה' אֱ-לֹקִים אֶת הָאָדָם וַיַּנִּחֵהוּ בְגַן עֵדֶן לְעָבְדָהּ וּלְשָׁמְרָהּ (בראשית ב, טו). The next time the word וַיִּקַּח appears in the Torah is וַיַּפֵּל ה' אֱ-לֹקִים תַּרְדֵּמָה עַל הָאָדָם וַיִּישָׁן וַיִּקַּח אַחַת מִצַּלְעֹתָיו וַיִּסְגֹּר בָּשָׂר תַּחְתֶּנָּה (שם ב, כא), when HKB"H separated Adam HaRishon into two parts – left (male) and right (female).
However, although Korach was like Adam HaRishon, it was Adam after the sin, a sin that resulted from an absence of midot – an absence of אֵיזֶהוּ עָשִׁיר הַשָּׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ and an abundance of lashon hara.
Korach thought he was the perfect balance between "left" and "right", like Shabbat (see Zohar above), which is שָׁלוֹם (our Shabbat greeting - Shabbat Shalom). What is the שִׁיר שֶׁל יוֹם for Shabbat? It is מִזְמוֹר שִׁיר לְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת (תהילים צב). In this mizmor we find the passuk צַדִּיק כַּתָּמָר יִפְרָח כְּאֶרֶז בַּלְּבָנוֹן יִשְׂגֶּה (שם יג). Korach said "That's me, I am the tzaddik that towers like a date palm, like a Lebanon cedar!" The sofei teivot of צַדִּיק כַּתָּמָר יִפְרָח spell – קֹרַח.
Korach was an enormous talmid chacham. He saw all these hints - that Shmuel HaNavi was going to be descended from him, that he was a "tzaddik", like Shabbat which is שָׁלוֹם, etc. All the prerequisites for being a leader and a Kohen Gadol לִכְאוֹרָה. Except … he was lacking midot. Korach was so lacking in midot and so full of גַּאֲוָה that his eyes deceived him (במדבר רבה יח, ח). Yes, his name appears in מִזְמוֹר שִׁיר לְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת, but not in rashei teivot – in sofei teivot, at the end! It was not he (at the head) who was the tzaddik, it was his sons (at the end) who did teshuva.
We have a total of eleven mizmorim in Tehillim that bear the name of Korach's sons (42, 44-49, 84, 85, 87, 88). According to some opinions mizmor 43 was also written by them (and is considered a continuation of mizmor 42), making a total of twelve. All of these mizmorim revolve around one subject – the Beit HaMikdash. Twelve mizmorim in all, just like the Twelve Tribes and just like the twelve loaves of Lechem HaPanim all sitting on the Shulchan in perfect שָׁלוֹם. It was not Korach who was like a Shulchan Lechem HaPanim, but his sons.
What an enormous musar haskel this teaches us about leadership in Am Yisrael - Resumes alone are not sufficient!
It is not enough that you served over 30 years in uniform, and even reached the pinnacle position of general or even chief of staff. It is not enough that you were in the סַיֶּרֶת מַטְכָּ"ל commando unit, or that you served at the head of almost every ministry position in the government, אוֹצָר, חוּץ, בִּטָּחוֹן, פְּנִים וְכו'. It is not sufficient that you are a professor or have a PHD from an elite university. It is not enough that you have an IQ of 160, etc. etc.
When HKB"H selects leaders in Am Yisrael, He doesn't look at their resume, He looks at their midot. That is HKB"H's prerequisite. The resume will come later, all the numerous entries detailing the titles and skillsets. HKB"H selected Moshe because of his midot, not because of his IQ. He selected Aharon because of his midot, not his bank balance. He selected Betzalel because of his midot, not because of his sculpting or metal work skills. He selected Yehoshua because of his midot, not because of his leadership skills or his lineage. He selected David HaMelech because of his midot, not because of his military prowess, etc. Eventually all our leaders ended up with impressive resumes - that came later, it was not the reason HKB"H selected them.
We are reaching a crossroads in the leadership of Am Yisrael. The older generation is ending their term and the newer generation is slowly taking their place. When this war ends (and it will end in the not-too-distant future), that generation of "leaders" will step off the stage and hand the baton to the next generation. The question we need to ask ourselves today is who do we want as our leaders?
If this war has proved anything, it is that resumes are meaningless. How many generals and chiefs of staff and heads of security agencies and even previous prime ministers … have we seen parade before us in the media, morning noon and night, with resumes a mile long, who are the antithesis to leaders?
Here is a small hint – the new leaders of Am Yisrael will not be those that shout the loudest or have the most air time. They will be the ones who have midot – integrity, courage, compassion, determination, humility … They will not be part of the cadre who appears most in the media. They will very likely emerge from the new generation of brave souls who are fighting this war and sacrificing their lives for Am Yisrael at tremendous cost.
We are at a crossroads in so many respects.
I heard a shiur by HaRav Baruch Rosenblum שליט"א where he explains the calculation of the Vilna Gaon when the Geulah is supposed to commence (you can find it online on YouTube), and according to that calculation it is in this year, תשפ"ה.
We are at a generational crossroads with our leadership. Am Yisrael are going to have to make a choice – who do we want as our leaders? Our political leaders, our judges, our generals in the army, our educators in academia, our Torah leaders, etc.?
Parshat Korach and history teach us how we should select these leaders. They should be the ones with the best midot, not the glossiest brochure, or those who shout the loudest! They should be those who aspire to follow HKB"H's natural order of balance between opposing "left" and "right" poles in our nation, achieving שָׁלוֹם, both social (within Am Yisrael) and spiritual (with HKB"H).
We beseech HKB"H to guide our hands in choosing our leaders wisely and thereby do our hishtadlut to herald a new era for Am Yisrael and the world.
Shabbat Shalom
Eliezer Meir Saidel
Machon Lechem Hapanim
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